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It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!

For those of you who have always wanted to post a recording, but were nervous about jumping in: this thread is dedicated to you!

It takes guts to post your first recording. There are plenty of places to do so: You can post it in the monthly Piano Bar, or participate in a themed recital, or take part in the Quarterly ABF Recital. We would love to have you participate, no matter what your level is. You can even start your own thread and title it "Listen to me!"ť Go for it!

Not all of us have that rock star confidence, though. With all of the continuously progressing players around here, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. And if that doesn't bother you (and I hope it doesn't), it's awfully hard not to be nervous. It's the Internet, and a lot of people might hear you!

It took me a while to participate, myself... I get anxious if I even think that the neighbors hear me! I am notorious for hesitating and losing my place in my pieces, and polishing my pieces are not my strong suit. So I never even thought I should bother. But one day I was peer-pressured (ha!) into a themed recital and nervously posted a recording. But I'll tell you what - the kind words and encouragement I received from forum members after posting that piece put me at ease. These people are amazing! It also helped me focus more on my weaknesses, and want to give better performances, instead of blowing through pieces. I can't tell you how helpful it is, and I wish I'd done it sooner.

So I would like to encourage you not to wait as long as I did!It can be your first piece from Alfred's, Ode to Joy. It can be that first piece that feels like "real music"ť to you. A Lady Gaga piece you learned from a YouTube Tutorial. Or you've just come back from a 30 year hiatus from playing and want to dust off Clair de Lune. The C scale. Or, if you've just learned where middle C is and want to show us. That's an accomplishment! We want to hear it!

There are no deadlines, and only one requirement.. that your recording is your first musical offering to PW. Please tell us about yourself, too!

Already posted something on PW? Feel free to lend your support to the newcomers - we've all been there.

Up until recently I was a mad ultra running nut. I lived for the sport, trained nearly every day and had just competed in my first 100 kilometre & 100 mile events both in 2012.

Unfortunately age has caught up with me and I have stopped running completely, but now I have poured all that normal energy into learning piano. I have been playing for five months and love the instrument and all it's complexities.

I am currently taking lessons and playing from a wide range of music including the Alfred's all in one course from which this song comes.

Edited by earlofmar (04/24/1307:06 AM)

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I thought I understood endurance sport; then I took up piano XXXVII-8-XXX

Earlofmar - congrats on being the first! I really enjoyed listening to this piece and I think you're making wonderful progress after six months! You must practice often and efficiently!

I particularly liked the ornatmentation, and you really sound "in control" all the way through, no rushing or fumbling about ----I could picture a raven haired couple, he in black and white, she in stunning red, dancing about and clicking their heels. She of course had a fan.

Most enjoyable!

AimeeO --- what a super thread -great intro and background information - wonderfully encouraging - I'm sure this thread is going to be very active!

_________________________ XVIII-XXXVISometimes I try to progress faster than I am ready for.SwissMsFollow your teacher's instructions and practice wisely/much, and you'll soon wonder how you ever found it hard. BobPicklePerformance anxiety: make it part of your daily routine and deal with it...Cope! zrtf90

Great job earlofmar! And this after only 5 months--amazing. I've been learning this song very recently and my main problem was the timing of the trills (probably the wrong word but I hope you know what I mean). Mine are often too fast and I also wonder whether yours have the right length. In any case, it sounds very good and fluent. I'm curious to see what pieces you'll be playing by the end of the year. Best wishes, Oliver

I do have a recording of my very own version of "Greensleeves". I sometimes record my playing "to check up" whether I still would like my version of a piece if I would "only listen to it", but I have never filmed myself because that does not seem important to me in the context of my learning how to play the piano.

I do have a recording of my very own version of "Greensleeves". I sometimes record my playing "to check up" whether I still would like my version of a piece if I would "only listen to it", but I have never filmed myself because that does not seem important to me in the context of my learning how to play the piano.

Would that do or is it important to have it filmed as well?

Thanks from Kristina.

Just audio is FINE !

_________________________ XVIII-XXXVISometimes I try to progress faster than I am ready for.SwissMsFollow your teacher's instructions and practice wisely/much, and you'll soon wonder how you ever found it hard. BobPicklePerformance anxiety: make it part of your daily routine and deal with it...Cope! zrtf90

Well, that made me smile, which is hard to do this early in the morning. As others have said, nice trills - but what I really think is cool that is that you kept going - the music comes first! It was really quite lively and spirited - just right, very clear and musical. Excellent.

I'm not going to post any recording cause I've already "popped my cherry" at the April's Piano bar . But, as a newbie pianist and forum member, I'd like to take this oppotunity to formally introduce myself.

My name is Michelle (or Elle). Started piano in January cause I was jealous of my 7 year old niece My parents never really pushed me to take up any kind of instruments as a child but I've always had the desire to learn as I was growing up but never the time and money to take lessons (or buy a piano for that matter). I'm at a point in my life now where finances are stable and I have the time to commit to learning this art, I figured it would be the best time to learn. I was never the one to think that it's too late to learn anything so here I am...obsessed with piano. I'm not in to running like earlofmar, but I am passionate about snowboarding and cooking.

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Adult beginner since January 2013. My only regret is that I didn't learn sooner.

I'm glad to see this thread get off the ground! Could someone make it into a sticky, perhaps?

Earlofmar: pretty polished performance of the Fandango! I'd heard it before, but there is something about the conviction with which you play that makes this into something more than just a person going through a piece from a method book. You've managed to make the music 'speak'.

And yes, I know that's very vague and mushy and everything, but this is me: I think and speak primarily in terms of the feelings it evokes in me, when it comes to music. That's the most important bar to clear for me: even if it's not technically perfect, does the music tell a story? And you've cleared the bar admirably. Way to go!

ooooh, all my recording equipment came this morning by FedEx!!! Time to get cracking!!! Thank you so much for the links in the initial post to this thread! Just the step by step instructions I need! It will take me a bit of time to get things figured out. But, thank you for this thread as first foray into recording on PW!!!

That was a great performance, particularly for someone playing just 5 months. Congrats, you are off to a great start.

To other potential 1st time submitters: I fear you may be put off a bit by how good earlofmar did on his first submission.... DON'T BE! Trust me on this, most first submissions are far, far, less polished. The whole idea is to just get over the hurdle and put something up, so don't let yourself hestitate waiting for that "perfect" performance.

I think this is a great idea, and am willing to share my FIRST EVER RECORDING! I don't mind if people ptsl, I was really happy to have achieved playing it lol. There you go, no-one need to be embarassed posting now lol

Earlofmar, that is wonderful! Great job keeping the tempo up! It's very musical as well, which can be hard when you're starting out. I could dance to that I'm glad it's proven to be such a good outlet to replace some of your running.

Kristina, welcome! I for one would love to hear your rendition of Greensleeves. You don't have to do video - you can post it through Box, or you can take the sound file and put a picture on it and make it a video (I usually use pictures of my garden).

Nice to meet you, Elle!

Dynamobt, I can't wait to hear your first submission!

And thanks so much to everyone else for popping in! Nice topless shot, Wayne

Earlofmar, that was wonderful!! You're gonna be fun to watch as you get better and better.

To the OP, should I post my first piano recording? I can dig it up somewhere. It's most certainly private wherever I have it posted because it is certainly awful. That might help inspire some people to come out of the woodwork.

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Playing since age 21 (September 2010) and loving it more every day."You can play better than BachMach2." - Mark_CCurrently Butchering:Chopin Ballade no 1 in G minor Op.23My Piano Diary: http://www.youtube.com/sirsardonicâ™Ş > $

Hm. I *think* the idea here is to get people to post their first PW recording in real time - those that are leery of posting a recording at all. Those who have posted other recordings are past that leeriness. I don't really think - I could be wrong - that it's meant for me to post my first recording, which was a Joplin rag in a study thread.

This thread came from a discussion about how to encourage people who have never posted a recording to post one, so they get the experience of the kind of feedback we have here, and might then go on to play in a recital, or the piano bar, or whatever, rather than being intimidated by the more experienced postes.

I believe Cathy is right. This thread as it was originally envisioned is for those who have never shared anything on PW, before.

There was another idea doing the rounds, though: that of a 'baby pictures' thread, where the more experienced and accomplished members could show us where they started. That, IMO, could also help mitigate the reticence some people feel about posting recordings of themselves here. But I do believe we shouldn't confuse the two.